A Cavapoo called a Cavadoodle, or Cavoodle, is the adorable cross between a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Poodle. They are a designer dog breed that is bred for small stature. To keep its size, a Toy or Miniature Poodle is used instead of a Standard Poodle.
Being a designer dog breed, Cavapoos can cost between $1,200 and $3,000 depending on location, breeder ethics, health standards, and the bloodlines of the parent breeding pair. Some first-generation litters of two show quality, purebred parents can cost close to $5,000!
Cavapoos were first bred in the 1990s in Australia to cross the gentle, loving nature of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with the hypoallergenic coats of the intelligent Poodle.
The result is the Cavapoo, sometimes known as a Cavoodle or Cavadoodle. A small, low to moderate energy dog that is loyal, affectionate, loving, and easy to handle for inexperienced owners. They make excellent family dogs and will thrive at apartment living.
Cavapoos are small dogs. Males weigh 10 to 20 lbs and stand at 11 to 14 inches at the shoulder, while females weigh 9 to 15 lbs and stand 9 to 11 inches.
They have modest exercise needs; a good 30 minute walk a day with some play sessions throughout the day should be enough to keep your Cavapoo sleeping most of the day. Since both the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Poodle are water-loving breeds, most Cavapoos are natural swimmers!
Cavapoos are intelligent, trainable dogs that will do well with basic obedience training or other mental stimulation like agility classes. They love their humans and aim to please them, making them highly trainable. The Poodle is listed as one of the most intelligent breeds of dogs!
In addition, Cavapoos are bred to be hypoallergenic. Poodles are a listed hypoallergenic breed by the American Kennel Club (AKC). Cavapoos tend to shed less fur and dander from their curly or wavy coats and might make ideal dogs for allergy sufferers.
Their coats can come in a range of colors like black, apricot, white, red, grey, and cream. They are low-shedding dogs that have modest grooming needs.
A brush twice weekly is enough to remove dead fur and dander from their coats, and a trim every one or two months can remove potential tangles or mats. A bath every one or two weeks with some nail trimming and ear and eye cleaning will keep your Cavapoo healthy and happy.
Why Are Cavapoos So Expensive?
Cavapoos are a designer dog breed that has been growing in popularity over the recent years. Cavapoos are also small dogs that have litters with fewer puppies, leading to a lack of supply to meet the burgeoning demand.
In addition, several factors play a part in determining the price of Cavapoo puppies.
Geographic Location
Boiling down to simple supply and demand, the location of the breeder can dictate a price. A breeder in a state with four other breeders with similar litters might charge less for their puppies to remain competitive.
In comparison, the only Cavapoo breeder in the state, and even the surrounding states, will send prices skyrocketing. Potential buyers might pay the extra to save the hassle of driving or flying out of state for their new puppy.
Bloodlines and Lineage
Cavapoos are a mixed breed and can be various combinations of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Poodle.
A 50-50% cross of two purebred parents (also known as an F1 cross) will cost more than an F2 cross. An F2 cross is the cross of two F1 Cavapoo parents.
In addition, some Cavapoos are bred to take after each parent more in a “back cross.” For example, a Cavapoo might be bred to be 75% Poodle and 25% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to attain a more hypoallergenic dog. More on this to come!
Reputable breeders will have health certificates and DNA tests of the parents of all their litters and potentially grandparents.
Breeder Selection
When shopping for your designer dog breed, selecting a reputable, trustworthy breeder is paramount. A quick check on eBay and Craigslist showed some puppies for sale for under $800. We strongly advise against buying puppies online from these sites.
Cheap puppies often come from puppy mills or backyard breeders, cleverly disguised as ethical breeders. With no guarantees or health certificates, these puppies often are bred in unfavorable conditions and are poorly socialized.
The lack of socialization and adequate healthcare can lead to severe behavioral and health problems down the road. In addition, you’ll be putting your money into unethical breeders that breed for profit, not for the welfare of their animals.
The Internet is a minefield filled with unethical breeders that do it for a profit with little regard for the health of their animals. To help you navigate this minefield and avoid buying from a backyard or puppy mill breeder, we’ve put together a list of warning signals.
1. The baddies sell online on free sites without a screening process. They don’t ask you any questions to indicate they care where their puppies go. They just want your money.
2. They sell puppies younger than eight weeks of age. According to the AKC, puppies can only be separated from their mother and littermates after eight weeks. Selling puppies under eight weeks is even illegal in some states.
3. Good breeders often have a 12-month health guarantee for their puppies to protect prospective buyers from issues that might appear after a few months.
4. They don’t allow you to visit the premises where the puppies were born and brought up, usually indicating unsanitary or unhealthy conditions.
5. They have many litters a year and a few breeding pairs, usually a sign of overbreeding. Cavapoos are small dogs and should be bred a maximum of once a year.
6. All reputable breeders have a solid return policy. This means, if you have to give your puppy up for any reason, the breeder gets the first choice on whether to take the puppy back.
7. They might shy away from detailed questions about their dogs’ health, temperament, history, and lineage. This might indicate a lack of attention and care spent on their dogs.
8. There is a lack of documentation of the parent pair. There should be ample records of health certificates, DNA, AKC registration papers, and OFA certifications.
To start weeding out the unethical breeders, a few initial questions should be asked to quickly strike some options off and have a smaller collection of breeders with which you can go more in-depth.
1. Can you provide health certificates, vaccination records, DNA test results, and registration papers for the parents and the grandparents?
2. Check the DNA test results for certain “at-risk” or “carrier” conditions. While you can breed dogs with a carrier condition with another dog without the condition, “at-risk” dogs should not be bred.
3. What happens if I ever have to give the puppy up? Without exceptions, the breeder should request that you bring the puppy back to them first.
4. How many litters do you have a year, and how long should I have to wait for my puppy? Breeders should not have two or more litters a year from the same breeding pair. Waiting several months for a puppy is normal.
5. Do you offer any health guarantees, and if so, for how long and under what conditions? Check the sales contract with a fine-toothed comb to ensure that there aren’t any loopholes that potentially let the breeder off the hook in the event of health issues.
6. Ask to visit the puppies. Ethical breeders take pride in raising their litters and will be glad to welcome a genuine buyer and give them a tour. Be wary of any breeder that doesn’t allow a visit to the facilities. They usually have something to hide.
How Much Do Mini Cavapoos Cost?
Miniature dogs are bred deliberately to be small. Mini Cavapoos can be produced by using Toy Poodles instead of Mini Poodles or using the runts of each litter as breeding pairs. They are more expensive than Cavapoos and can cost between $1,500 and $3,500.
Many larger breeds like the Doberman Pinscher, Schnauzer, and the Poodle have been bred down in size to make their miniature cousins. To breed down in size without introducing another breed to the pure bloodline, the runts are used, usually the smallest dog in the litter.
Over generations of breeding, soon the Mini Pinscher, Mini Schnauzer, and Toy Poodle became permanently diminutive and are now recognized AKC breeds.
There are three sizes of Poodles. The Standard Poodle can weigh up to 70 lbs, the Miniature Poodle can weigh up to 20 lbs, while the Toy Poodle is the tiniest at about 10 lbs.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel comes in one size. Their AKC breed standard dictates that their height be between 12 and 13 inches at the shoulder and weigh 13 to 18 lbs.
Because of the vastly different sizes of Poodles, Cavapoos can have an extensive range of sizes. Crossing a Cavalier with a Standard Poodle will give a completely different sized dog than crossing one with a Toy Poodle.
Mini Cavapoos might have a Toy Poodle or a small Miniature Poodle parent as part of the breeding program.
How Much Do F1b Cavapoos Cost?
An F1b Cavapoo is usually bred to have more Poodle genes, making their coats lower-shedding and resulting in a more hypoallergenic dog suitable for people suffering from allergies. They cost about the same as F1 Cavapoos but be prepared for a small fee of $100 to $200 tagged.
To understand the different ways of mixing breeds, we’ll first have to understand what an F1 hybrid is.
What’s an F1 Hybrid?
The “F” stands for “Filiah Hybrid” and denotes a crossbreed, not a purebred. All Cavapoo hybrids start with an F because they are a cross between the Poodle and the Cavalier.
F1 hybrids are used in genetics and selective breeding. The number indicates the generation; F1 is the first generation of the cross between a 100% pure Poodle and a 100% pure Cavalier.
An F1 Cavapoo will be 50/50% Cavalier and Poodle. An F2 Cavapoo will be the second generation made up of two F1 Cavapoo parents. An F3 Cavapoo will be the third generation from two F2 parents, and so on.
Now for the curveball. The “b” in F1b stands for “backcross.” It means that the F1 Cavapoo has been bred back into a 100% purebreed, resulting in a 75/25% mix. The Cavapoo backcross is usually done with a Poodle to incorporate more of the hypoallergenic features of the Poodle’s coat into the Cavapoo, making it suitable for people with allergies.
To make things even more complicated, the F1b Cavapoo can be bred back again into a 100% Poodle to get an F1bb Cavapoo that is 87.5% Poodle and 12.5% Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Confused? Here’s a handy chart for your reference.
| Hybrid | Poodle Gene | Cavalier Gene |
| F1 | 50% | 50% |
| F1b | 75% | 25% |
| F1bb | 87.5% | 12.5% |
| F2 | 50% | 50% |
| F2b | 62.5% | 37.5% |
| F2bb | 81.25% | 18.75% |
| F3 | 50% | 50% |
F1b Cavapoos will take after their Poodle parents more. They are a popular mix of Cavapoo since their wavy, curlier coats are less likely to shed than the straighter coats of the Cavalier. Most breeders claiming their Cavapoo’s hypoallergenic nature might be breeding F1b Cavapoos, so check with your breeder on the genetic mix.
This mix of Cavapoos might also result in higher-energy dogs that require more exercise than an F1 Cavapoo. A lack of adequate exercise might lead to destructive behaviors like chewing or digging or, worse, separation anxiety.
How Much Should You Pay For A Cavapoo
Cavapoos are a designer dog breed and can cost between $1,200 and $3,000 depending on geographical location, bloodlines, lineage, and breeder ethics. In addition to the purchase price, there are some other things you’ll need to prepare for your newest family member.
Cleaning Supplies – Puppies will have a lot of accidents, and you’re likely to spend the next few weeks constantly cleaning. Enzymatic cleaners like this one from Rocco and Roxie are every pet parent’s best friend. They work on a cellular level to clean biological matter like pee, drool, and vomit.
Dogs mark over their scent, and a good odor eliminator like this one from Angry Orange will prevent future accidents on the same site.
Pet Supplies
Collar and leash – Cavapoos are small, diminutive dogs with vulnerable throats. Instead of a collar, think about using a harness for your puppy’s first walks. Make sure to get an adjustable one to accommodate your puppy’s rapidly growing size.
Dish bowls – BPA-free or stainless steel dish bowls should be of high quality. You don’t want to hurt your puppy’s growing immune system with inferior products containing potentially harmful chemicals.
Food – The good news is that Cavapoos are small dogs that won’t cost too much in food. Use high-quality puppy food for small breeds to help your puppy grow optimally. Don’t use adult food; adult dogs have different growth rates and require additional nutrition.
Crate – If you’re planning to crate train your puppy, use a crate with dividers to limit the size. A crate should be just enough for a puppy to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably. Too large, and your puppy might figure out how to go potty in the crate without soiling his own “den.”
Toys and Dental Bones – Your puppy is going to love to chew a LOT! Having a good supply of toys and dental bones on hand will enable you to start training your puppy and redirecting his attention back onto stuff he can chew and leave your shoes alone.
Grooming Supplies – Although Cavapoos are a low maintenance breed with low-shedding coats, all dogs need to be groomed.
You’ll need:
- a good brush for twice-weekly use or so to remove dead fur and dander
- a nail clipper
- an excellent organic shampoo like this one by Pro Pet for a bath every two weeks or so depending on the weather and lifestyle
- eye and ear cleaning solutions
- a doggy toothbrush and some meat-flavored toothpaste
Getting your puppy used to being groomed early will save you both a lot of stress in the future. Slowly begin by handling paws, ears, mouth, and coat and then gradually start grooming. Be patient and treat and praise lavishly.
Introducing grooming correctly can have your puppy lapping up the attention and enjoying himself. Having a dog that dislikes or fears getting groomed is quite the nightmare!
In addition to grooming at home, Cavapoos have long coats that might get tangled or matted over time. An occasional trim at a professional groomer can cost about $30 to $80 a visit and more if other additional treatments are needed.
Vet Bills – If your puppy is eight weeks old, it is likely that the vaccinations are not completed. The remaining shots on the vaccination schedule can cost between $150 and $300. Yearly booster shots can cost between $75 and $100.
If you intend to spay or neuter your Cavapoo, the procedure costs between $400 and $600.
In addition, emergency vet visits can cost in the thousands in the event of a severe illness. To avoid paying hefty vet bills, consider pet insurance.
Pet Insurance – The insurance plans available vary immensely. Monthly premiums can range from $10 to $100, but most pet owners can expect to pay between $30 and $50 a month for a decent plan.
Premiums depend on a few factors such as your Cavapoo’s age, breed, where you live, and lifestyle.
Doggy Day Care and Dog Walking – Cavapoos are sociable dogs highly attached to their humans. Unfortunately, this also makes them prone to separation anxiety. If you have to leave your Cavapoo alone for long periods, separation anxiety might manifest in various degrees.
Consider a dog walking facility or doggy daycare to keep your puppy mentally and physically active when you’re gone.
Gifts for Dog Lovers
Do you know someone who loves their dog more than anything?
Then they’ll love these gifts! From kitchen accessories to stylish jewelry, we’ve got everything a pup lover could want.
Our selection of gifts for dog lovers is sure to have something perfect for the special person in your life.
Head over to our list of 50 Pawsome Gift Ideas for Dog Lovers to find that perfect gift!
More on Cavapoos
If you’re simply in love with Cavapoos and can’t get enough, then check out our other posts below:
